Graham Razey OBE
Board Chairman since July 2022
Graham Razey OBE is the Chief Executive of EKC Group, a family of six colleges and four business units that deliver a wealth of technical, vocational and academic education across the whole of east Kent. A passionate sportsman, Graham’s first role following his time at the University of Kent was as a sports lecturer. He’s continued to love sport throughout his life, playing cricket for his local club as well as coaching the next generation of talented youngsters. Alongside these hobbies, Graham acts as a National Leader of Further Education, and is also a member of the Principals’ Reference Group which helps to shape national skills policy and acts as a sounding board for the Government’s Further Education Commissioner. He received his OBE for services to education in the 2019 Queen's New Year Honours list, and proudly attended his investiture in 2021 following a delay due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Adam Lawrence
Board Member and Audit and Governance Committee Chair - Joined Board in April 2017
Adam was formerly the Chief Executive Officer of Gillingham Football Club Community Trust. He had five years of experience within this role, developing overall business strategy for the charity, as well as creating unique projects to be delivered throughout Medway and Kent. A qualified PE teacher, Adam also has good experience and understanding of schools, and of delivering sports sessions and projects to young people. He is a sports fanatic, but football is his main passion as both a supporter, and also playing for local teams. He also likes a sporting challenge, having previously completed the London Marathon and the London to Amsterdam bike ride, raising money for charity on both occasions.
Chris Morgan
Board Member - Joined Board in January 2024
Chris, raised in South Wales, grew up in an environment deeply rooted in sports, surrounded by a family and community passionate about athletic activities. This upbringing ignited his own love for sports, leading him to actively participate in both cricket and rugby at competitive levels for several years.
Over the past decade, Chris has been Director of Sport at Tonbridge School. In this capacity, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the sports programs and nurturing athletic talent. His responsibilities have included liaising closely with numerous local, national, and international National Governing Bodies (NGBs), as well as professional sports teams. This role has demanded a high level of coordination, communication, and organisational skills, enabling him to forge significant relationships within the sports community.
Additionally, Chris has been instrumental in coordinating various sports initiatives and events, demonstrating his capability to manage large-scale projects effectively. His leadership has not only benefited Tonbridge School's sports programs but has also contributed to the broader sporting community.
Derek Lewis
Board Member - Joined Board in November 2023
Derek is a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute, with over 35 years of corporate governance experience in major international companies, primarily in the financial services sector, as well as having experience in risk management and compliance.
Derek has been involved with basketball since school (where he won a national championship) having played for 43 years; coached for 40 years, with a strong focus on junior development; and been on the Medway Basketball Association Management Committee for 32 years, with roles including Secretary, Basketball Development Officer & Registrar. He is also a longstanding Governor of his former school, Gravesend Grammar School, where he is the link governor for key stage 5; and he is a Trustee of the Chartered Secretaries Charitable Trust.
Having retired from playing basketball during the coronavirus pandemic, he now swims regularly for 1.5 - 2 km a week to stay fit.
Gurvinder Sandher
Board Member - Joined Board in December 2021
Gurvinder is the Artistic Director of Cohesion Plus and CEO of the KECC (Kent Equality Cohesion Council). He has worked in the voluntary sector in Kent since 1999 and established Cohesion Plus in 2008 to complement the work he was already doing around equality and diversity. The focus of his work is to use the arts and sports to bring people together, showcase culturally diverse arts and promote community cohesion, celebrating our shared values.
During his two decade long career in the charity sector, and as CEO of KECC, Gurvinder has worked extensively across Kent in partnership with community, faith and statutory sectors to promote community cohesion, engagement with diverse communities and to eliminate discrimination. He also provides one to one support to individuals who require help and support, the majority of whom have English as a second language, as well as supporting community groups through mentoring and advice on issues such as governance and access to funding.
Liu Batchelor
Board Member - Joined Board in December 2021
Liu is a video and communications expert working with Kent SMEs and charities. She is also a TV presenter, having hosted an active travel show airing on Sky. She is a graduate from Loughborough University, and former Team GB wakeboarder, who later took up bodybuilding to overcome a major sports injury. These experiences have given Liu a passion for inspiring and helping people try a wide variety of different sports, and motivated her to complete '100 Sports in 100 Days'. This fundraising and awareness campaign aimed to inspire people to find their 'perfect sport/activity', especially if they are not interested in 'mainstream' sports.
Luke McCarthy
Board Member - Joined Board in January 2024
Professionally I have 11 years of experience as an accountant, as a fully qualified member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). Since 2021, I have honed my skills working with SME / Owner Managed businesses at A4G LLP. Beyond my professional endeavors, I am deeply passionate about sports. Football being my main sport, playing and currently acting as secretary for teams in the NKSL. I also enjoy various racquet sports socially, and have just started my journey of learning to play golf. I am eager to leverage my financial acumen and passion for sports to help drive Active Kent & Medway’s meaningful initiatives that benefit our local community.
Natalie Curtis
Board Member, Welfare & Safety Champion, and Equalities Champion - Joined Board in July 2015
Natalie is currently the Head of Academy at London City Lionesses. Natalie is passionate about sport generally and football in particular and she works tirelessly with a range of partners to encourage opportunities for people with all abilities and from all parts of Kent and Medway’s communities to become involved in football. Natalie can often be found on a football pitch across Kent either playing, tutoring or coaching!
Ex-Officio Members
Tom Marchant
Interim Head of Countryside and Community Development at Kent County Council and the Host Agency Representative on the Board